Narrated by Emmy Award winning James Cromwell, an ardent supporter of Indigenous and Civil Rights, the film captures the declining fortunes of the Galpu clan, an aboriginal family led by the aging master didgeridoo craftsman Djalu (sounds like Jahlu) Gurruwiwi. Like anthropologists, over successive trips spanning ten years, filmmaker Joshua Bell and team were able to capture the hopes and fears of an indigenous family struggling to keep their ancient traditions alive within the constraints of the modern world.

A RICH PORTRAIT OF AN ABORIGINAL DIDGERIDOO MASTER
NARRATED BY JAMES CROMWELL
Coming to DVD August 5th with On Demand Platforms in September

LOS ANGELES, CA (July 30, 2014) Documentary filmmaker Joshua Bell goes deep into the Australian outback crafting a dreamtime story and ethnomusical journey: In Between Songs. Narrated by Emmy Award (R) winning James Cromwell, who was also nominated for an Oscar (R) for his work in Babe, and is an ardent supporter of Indigenous and Civil Rights, the film captures the declining fortunes of the Galpu clan, an aboriginal family led by the aging master didgeridoo craftsman Djalu (sounds like Jahlu) Gurruwiwi. Released by Cinema Libre Studio, the film will be available on DVD in North America on August 5th.

Transfixed by the haunting sounds of the didgeridoo (aka didjeridu) and teaching himself to play on a PVC tube, Bell traveled to Australia in 1996 to study aboriginal music and then again in 2001 to attend a Master Music Class at the Garma Festival, Australia's most significant Indigenous event which celebrates the start of Garma, the largest and most vibrant annual celebration of Yolngu (Aboriginal people of north east Arnhem Land) culture. There he met Djalu Gurruwiwi, a master craftsman, teacher, and clan leader in the Yolngu tribe. Bell realized that his passion for the music offered a unique access point to capture the sacred sounds of traditional didgeridoo music as well as the finer nuances of the fading Aboriginal culture.

In 2002, he returned to Arnhem Land a third time with cinematographer August Thurmer, when the duo suddenly found themselves in the midst of filming a traditional circumcision ceremony. During their two week stay, the filmmakers learned of the negative impact that the Rio Tinto bauxite mine--bauxite, an aluminum ore, is the world's main source of aluminum--has had on the Yonlgu. Like anthropologists, over successive trips spanning ten years, Bell and team were able to capture the hopes and fears of an indigenous family struggling to keep their ancient traditions alive within the constraints of the modern world.

Says Bell, "I have carried a sense of responsibility with me throughout this process. I have been entrusted with the modern and ancient stories of the family. We witnessed and filmed some absolutely wonderful and heartbreaking moments in their lives. Over the years, family members we considered close friends were murdered, committed suicide, or drank themselves to death. Babies grew into young adults, young adults grew into men and women. Outside the on-screen action, the lives we captured continue to live and breathe. This story never stops."

Says Cromwell, "Simply put, In Between Songs is a passionate film that illuminates a culture rarely captured on screen. The characters and the stories they share are rich and vibrant. The images are magnificent and the material is masterfully communicated. If we want to enact positive change in the world, you need to see this film."

SYNOPSIS: In the Northern Territory of Australia, the Aboriginal Galpu clan, led by didgeridoo master Djalu Gurruwiwi, struggles to maintain its ancestral traditions in the face of modern pressures. When the youth display little interest in the clan's legacy and the impact of the nearby Rio Tinto mine begins to take its toll, the clan elders must find a way to preserve their way of life and cultural identity.

The 85 minute documentary will become available in North America on August 5th on DVD (at traditional DVD retail outlets) and On Demand platforms (Amazon Instant, Hulu and Cinema Libre On Demand) to follow one month later (September 5, 2014).

ABOUT CINEMA LIBRE: Cinema Libre Studio is a leader in distributing social-issue documentaries and features by passionate filmmakers. Headquartered in Los Angeles, the Cinema Libre team has released over one hundred films including the Sundance Audience Award•Winning FUEL, THE END OF POVERTY?, Rachid Bouchareb's LONDON RIVER and Oliver Stone's SOUTH OF THE BORDER. The studio is in pre-production on John Perkins' best•selling memoirs, CONFESSIONS OF AN ECONOMIC HIT MAN, into a major motion picture. For more information and updates, please visit: www.cinemalibrestudio.com| Updates | Facebook | Twitter .